TazErase

So far so good... it's the best ad I've seen so far... even though it's the ONLY ad, lol

KB Toys is why I first began Black Friday shopping! Since then it has become an addiction, and I have been doing Black Friday for about 21 or 22 years now. Finally getting back into it after a few rough years though. 2013 I was in Florida helping my dad at a hospital there and got back just in time. In 2014 I would normally have been on line by Tuesday before, but instead I was at my father's funeral. Last year I just didn't have the heart for the camping, but still went, but this year I intend to return with a vengence even though the items I am looking for are not the quickest items to sell out, lol. Just the addiction to being first and being in the paper as usual.

Almost forgot... I remember when the Black Friday ads weren't as top secret and they didn't threaten legal action against onyone posting the ad before they allowed it, lol. To think only 1 ad has been posted with only 5 weeks til Black Friday is very upsetting. Soon the ads will be coming a few at a time, but I still like to plan things out weeks in advance, lol.

Yup, last 2 years the line for Target nearly as long, possibly longer than the line for Best Buy. No one lined up until only about 2 hours before Target opened, but when they arrived they came quick. I usually scope out Best Buy each day while on line to see where they are setting up which items, and I make sure I am the last customer to leave before they close for the last time before the Black Friday sale. A few years ago the mall didn't allow camping out and would actually kick people off the property until Thanksgiving Day (that was when Black Friday was still on Friday). I actually went and made arrangements with the manager of the mall and security, and ever since they follow past practice and allow camping out.

I remember when stores actually cometed for the best items at the lowest prices. Since Circuit City closed, those days are fading. I still get on line first, but more out of habit and the love of the hunt, besides, it's fun to camp out for a few nights a year, lol.

I've been first in line mostly for Best Buy, however I have been first for Old Navy, Kaybee Toys, Kmart, Gander Mountain, etc over the years. In fact I have been first for Best Buy AND Old Navy in the same year, lol. Got on the line for Best Buy a few days early, and then set up a chair near the Old Navy store and had my wife sit there since we were already established as first for Best Buy and no one was going to argue that she was in fact there first. It is fun but it gets cold in New York some years. I have a tent, propane heaters, mini generator, and of course WiFi with my tablets, laptops, and cell phones, lol. The photo I have for this site is just one of the many years I was interviewed by the local paper for being first at Best Buy.

Used to be just me, then my wife joined a few years later. Now my son and daught go as well, and sometimes my nephew or some friends will join us.

Camping out IS Black Friday. I have done it for many many years and it has become a family trip at this point. Years ago it wasn't as much fun going alone, but my daughter and son have now joined me in getting on line a few days early. I have never forced them, and I didn't take them until they were older, and the first few years their main job when we got into the store has been to go right to the checkout line and wait. If you are going to bring kids, make sure they are old enough to make their own choice, and you have a plan to keep them safe from the crowds. It has become a fun time and the kids love it. Probably this year or next my youngest will be joining the team, if I can find an adult to stay with him when we get into the store.

I have a few pet peeves that REALLY annoy me. 1) People that cut the lines 2) People that bring babies to Black Friday. I understand older kids that in fact WANT to be there.. but a baby??? WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING??? In NY it is often 30 degrees or less on Black Friday... use your brain, leave the babies home. If you honestly have no option, at least find ways to better protect the kids so they aren't being used as a battering ram as you run through the store that is extremely overcrowded. 3) People that arrive a few hours early when you've been there for days, and then give sob stories hoping you will let them skip the line or get the ticket for the item they want. You can just hear so many times how this one or that one died and they are trying to make them happy by buying them a new computer at Best Buy that is on sale and limited quantities. 4) Stores that don't have the sale item, even when you are one of the very first to get there. 5) People that feel the need to become overly aggressive and push anyone in their way just because it's Black Friday and they think it is acceptable... IT'S NOT! Only time I ever used a cart was the year I bought a BBQ grill in Walmart... Sometimes there is no option, but if you MUST get a cart, have 1 watch the cart and have the others run to gather the items and return them to the cart.. don't try pushing the cart through the store, lol

Started about 25 years ago and have done it ever since. I started out simple going to to KB Toys at 5am, then the next year went around midnight the night before... Have since advanced to being first at Best Buy a few days early multiple times. At this point it depends on the economy and what's for sale more than being first at Best Buy every year, especially since the Best Buy deals having been going downhill since Circuit City closed a few years ago. Last year was the first year I didn't even buy anything at Best Buy! Also, I don't like the stores opening on Thursday night, but as a loyal Black Friday shopper I will still go to where the best sales are.

There are 2 new Samsung 5s coming out in the next month or so. The Samsung galaxy 5 mini and another. Don't expect them to be on sale though. Black Firday is usually more for discounts on older items that once sold out will no longer be available.

Went by Best Buy Friday night and they still had many of the items they had on sale for Black Friday that never sold. There must have been at least 40 TVs still on the crates they bring out with their BF deals as well as many other items from their BF ad.

I went to a few more stores since the prior post and same thing there. Hours after the start of the sales I was able to get most doorbusters. I went to Walmart at 3pm for the doorbusters from the 8am Saturday sale and had no problem getting everything I was looking for. Went to Lowe's and got what I wanted there at 11am when the sale started at 5am... Kmart, Walmart, and other stores all had plenty of doorbusters hours after the sale started. My sister went to another Walmart however and that one was jam packed according to her and she didn't get what she wanted. Had she told me, I could easily have gotten everything at the location I went to so it seems in and around larger cities they were packed, but further from big cities they were empty. She went to a Walmart in Westchester, NY which is about the closest Walmart to NYC. I really hope the retailers change it back to Black Friday or at least Thursday night rather than so early on Thanksgiving, however, if this is going to be the norm, I will have no problems going hours later to score anything I want. In addition to all that, for those gun owners out there, at 4pm Friday, Dick's Sporting Goods still had a large stock of the .22 ammo on sale. I had been looking literally for months for .22 ammo and they had tons even so late in the day on Friday!

This year I had family medical problems and wasn't able to be first like I usually am at Best Buy... I went by at 4:20pm and there were less than 50 people in line! Then I went to Walmart expecting it to be crazy there and I actually got a carriage (which I have NEVER done on Black Friday) and was able to move pretty freely through the store without getting all jammed up. Not sure if this was a deliberate attempt by retailers to kill Black Friday to spread the sales out in the future, if not based on what I've been seeing here in NY, next year they may move store opening times back to 10pm or even midnight. What was it like in other parts of the country???

Yup, not surprised at all! I knew this was coming eventually but thought 10pm this year and 8 next.

I live in NY. There are tons of Best Buys, but this is the closest to me. The next closest is about 20 miles away, maybe a little more. I go to Poguhkeepsie, the others are in Middletown, Danbury, ct, and Kingston. Poughkeepsie...

Thank you so much. If I can't make it home in time to be in the local paper here (one of the pics from the paper is my profile pic here) I would still love to make it in some paper someplace lol. I have been first for 4 years in a row and 6 of the last 8, lol... My local Best Buy knows me as "Number 1" because I am known to always be first every year, lol.

For me personally it really doesn't matter but I know many that will just not bother. For the diehard black Friday shoppers, many of us are on line at the stores long before Thanksgiving and just sit on line all day waiting for them to open their doors. I do not agree with the idea of them opening on Thanksgiving but as a diehard black Friday shopper I will be sitting in front of the store if it's not open or in the store if it is open.

Thank you so much. If I am unable to make it home in time I may seriously take you up on the offer. Won't get in the newspapers, TV reports, and radio locally, lol, but I appreciate the offer and was hoping not to make this the first BF in over 20 years. I will keep in touch and if I am unable to get home in time I'll let you know. My kids will still be home, and I wouldn't put it past them to at least want to hold our record at Best Buy locally if I'm not here. I've been first for 4 years in a row and 7 of the past 9 years.

KMart has been open Thanksgiving Day for years. They will do the same as last year with different doorbusters for different times... Walmart will probably start at 8PM, I would expect Target, Kohl's, Toys R Us, and a few others to open at 8pm. I expect Best Buy will try to remain midnight as they did last year, however if too many open early I would not be too shocked to see them open at 10PM Thursday. The smaller stores will have their 5am - 7am opening times as in years past.

About 22 years now. First 13 were in NYC, last 9 was in an upstate NY undisclosed location (not looking to have additional competition, lol). In the past 9 years at this location I have been first at Best Buy for 7 of those 9 years and the past 4 in a row. Used to be 7am when the stores opened when I first started out WAY back... Now some are opening 10PM, and if last year is any indication I'd guess that about 5 more will be joining the 10PM Thursday list.

I SO wish I could make more of these dates but this year my dad is in bad shape and I'm not even sure where or IF I will get to do BF. I will try to aim for the Nov. 9th webcast to join you guys on that one but the others will not be possible.

Yup I'm back. Not sure what my BF plans are as of yet though since my dad suddenly became paralyzed from the waist down and I will be driving him 1200 miles to a Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. I am hoping to be home in time, if not I may be doing BF in Jacksonville where I am totally lost as to area knowledge and how they run things down there.

Awesome idea . Love the interactive map. Might be able to work with others locally this way and meet other Gotta Deal users. It has been great and I have met others through this site although I RARELY ever give up my exact location, lol.

Just wanted to welcome all my friends back to the Best Buy Black Friday forums.